Process of making pneumatic tires.



Y J. H; BROWN. PROCESS OP MAKING PNUMATIC TIRES.

APPLIGATION FILED .TUNE 19, 1912.`

Patented-Dec. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.v

J. H. BROWN. PROCESS OP MAKING PNEUMATIC TIRES.

v APPLIGATIQN FILED .T UNE 19. 1912, 1,121,467.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET @Witwe/16020,:

UNITED STATES PATENTl oFFIcE.

JOHN H. BROWN, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., .ASSIGNOR T0 BROWN PERFECTION TUBE COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPOBATION 0F NEW YORK.

- PROCESS 0F M AKING PNEUMATIC TIB/ES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed June 1'9, 1912. Serial No. 704,638.

To all 'whom it may concern y B e it known that I, JOHN H. BROWN, of New York city, in the county of New York,

andin the State of-New York, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Making Pneumatic Tires,- and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

vThe object of my invention has been to devise a 'process of making pneumatic tires of the type in which the material of the tread is under compression so that, when said tread is punctured, the material' thereof will expand and close'the said. puncture,`

elevation of a mandrel adapted for use in practising my process, the blank being shown in place upon the mandrel ready to be vulcanized; and Fig. 5 is a View, partly in section, illustrating the step of stripping mv blank of the mandrel.

while I have' illustrated thebesf, embodiment .ofmy invention,v known to me, such embodiment is to be regarded y as typical only of many possible embodiments of the invention, and my invention is not to be limited to the particular embodiment shown.

The tire whichv it is the object of my process to make, is the subject of a separate application for patent executed June 19th, 1912, Serial No. 704,637, and I shall not, therefore, in this application describe such tire in detail. In forming the blank from which the said tire is to be made, I preferably follow the `following procedure: I provide a strip of-unvulcanized rubber 1 of a width slightly greater than the outer periphery which my tire is to have, transversely considered, and of a length sufficient to make the full length of-the tire and allow for splicing. Near the outer edges of .the said strip I 'then lay narrower strips 2,

which extend approximately tothe margin .the tread proper, istrips, over the tread portion of the tire, a

`Island. canvas. -ably coated upon both' sides with rubber,

of the tread proper. Upon each of the strips2 I lay narrower strips 3 and 4, which also extend approximately to the edge of I then lay on the said strip of retaining fabric 5, preferably Sea The said fabric is preferand ,is of such a nature that it can stretchV longitudinally several inches, if necessary, Without breaking. Upon the said fabric I 'then place several layers of rubber, 6, 7 8

and 9, in thepresent instance four, which are progressiiv'elv narrower. fabric 5 ispreferably caused to extend suiiicientlv beyond the strips of rubber to afford ahandhold in stripping the completed tire oil' the mandrel. The rubber which I find gives the best results s good live rubber.` The 'blank vhaving been prepared as described is then laid upon the mandrel with the strip 9 on the -outerperiphery of the mandrel, and the blank is folded around The strip of the mandrel until its edges overlap on th`e inner'periphery of the mandrel. The

' blank is then held in place by wrapping a stripA of cloth` 10 spirally about the blank and mandrel. The two ends of the strip 9 are preferablyprevented from meeting at the splice so as to avoid forming an air channel through its ibers'from the inner to the Aouter peripheryof the tire. The mandrel and tire blank are then placed ina vulcanizing chamber andthe tire isvulc'anized. Upon removing from the vulcanizing chamber,- th'e spirally wrapped strip ofcloth 10 is unwound, and the operator then takes hold of the free'end of the compression band strip 5 and begins to strip the tire" off ,the mandrel by turning itl inside out like a stocking. In `order to prevent the tire from sticking upon itself as this turning operav tion is performedI preferably introduce a tube 11, from a source of compressed air,

between the inner and outer-fportions of the tire and the compressed air forms, so to speak, a lubricant-that suliciently prevents the two from sticking together to enable the tire to be stripped off. The tire is then ready for splicing together by tapering and telescoping the ends, and is then com? plete.

In my completed tire. Itjwill be observed that my process has,

Fig. 2`I have shown a crosssection of among others, the following advantages: My tire, as made by my process, has its inner periphery approximately not longer than the portion of the rim of the Wheel against which it is to lie, lwhile the tread is of approximately the full periphery desired in the' tire. This results in avoiding any wrinkling or buckling in the inner pe 'riphery of the tire, as would be 4the case if the tire were made on a straight mandrel.

As the fabric in my tire is caused to adhere,

l' to the mandrel by the rubber between its in the completed tire.

The tread of my tire can be made as thick as desired by my process, so thatsany desired amount of compression can be oby tained. The edgeslof the compression band escaper of air.

5 of my tirevpass diagonally through the thickened tread from near the outer portion to near the' inner portion thereof, when the tire is'I made by my process, which affords very 'reat advantages in the tire itself, as eXp ained in the said companion application, and'yet said fabric does not extend continuously from inside to outside of the tirerso asto ali'ord a passage for the By'makin the said tire by my process the rubber 'o' the tread is put under abundant' compression so that when'A a puncture ocoursthe rubber has ample -elasticity to fill upthe' puncture and'prevent the escape of air. v Y

1. The process-of making pneumatic tires, consistingin building up a blank having a thickened-tread portion, and having a retaining fabric strip on or near-the'normal 'outside of said tread portion, vulcanizinjg said blank on an' annular rigid mandrel'iiith said fabric nearer said' mandrel than said tread portion,'andturning said tire 'f inside out like a stocking;

' 2. The processof making f-pneumatic tires,

which consists in forminga at blank-in the form o fastrip', said blank having'a thickened central portion,laying a-strip of fabric 'over/said' thickened portion', placing said blank on :1n-annular rigid' mandrel with said strip .of fabric nearer to said mandrel than said thickened portion, vulcanizin'g said tire on said mandrel, and removing itfrom said Inandrelvby .turningsaid tire inside -out like comprising `forming a blank by building it up out of sheet-rubber, a strip of such rub- 3l The process oflmakingpneumatic tires, f

said strip approximately at the edges of the tread portion vof the tire, a strip of fabric being then laid between said elevations and upon said first mentioned strip of rubber, a thickened tread portion thon being built up of rubber over said strip of fabric, saidblank then being placed upon anannular ,rigid u mandrel with said first mentionedv strip of rubberagainst the outer peripheral A surface -of said mandrel, said tire being vulcanized on said mandrel and then turned inside out like a stocking. l

et. The'process of making pneumatic tires consisting in forming a blank -having vridges near the edges of the .tread portion, placing a" strip noffabricifvitli its edges on said l' ridges and its body lying therebetween,

forming a thickened rubber portion 'over said strip of fabric, forming a tube of 4said blank with said fabric'on the inner portionthereof, vulcanizing said tube and lturning it. inside outlike a stocking.

5. The process of making pneumatic tires, consisting informing a blank with a thick- Y ened tread portion, placinga strip of fabric over said tread portion, said strip of fabricextending beyond the end of said blank,

placing said blank on, an annular rigid mandrel with said strip' of fabric nearer to said mandrel than said'trea'd portion, vulcanizing said blank on said mandrel,- and turning said blank-inside out on said man# drel like a stocking, using said extended portion of saidstrip for a handhold in so omg. 6. The process of making-tires, -coii'sistin in forming a blank'with a thickenedjtrea portion, placing a strip of fabric over said tread portion', placing said blankcuan annular rlgid mandrelyvith said fabric vnearer said mandrel than 'said tread portion, vulcanizing said tire and vstripping it off said mandrel b y turning it inside out like a stocking, and at the same time injecting'a Huid Ybeneath ,the turned-over portion of the tire' facilitate1saidstrippingfoperation. 7 Q The process of,mak ing\ .pneumaticl tires,

comprising forming ablank with a thickcned treadportion, placin a strip of fabric "on the outer periphery o 'an annular rigid mandrel', Iinterposing rubber between said v fabric andsaid mandrelto prevent misplacement of said fabric, securing said blank upon saidmandrel its thickened tread' portion over said fabric, vulcanzing said blank and fabric together, and the edges of said blank to each other While on said mandrel, and turning the tire thus formed inside' out like a'stocking.A

fabric in said tread portion, the body of said strip being near the normal Aouter periphery 8. The process of makingpneumatic'-:tiri-es;l

having a thickthe. tread, and the edges'ofs'aidV stripbeing extended diagonally through said tread to near its inner periphery, placing said blank on an annular rigid mandrel with the normal outer periphery of the tread nearest the mandrel, .Vulcanizing said tire and turning it inside out. A

9. The process of making an inner tube for pneumatic tires, comprising assembling a rubber blank anda strip of fabric upon a rigid, annular mandrel substantially of the shape of the interior of the tube when in normal use, the blank having a thickened tread portion, said tread portion and said fabric being placed upon the outer periphery of the mandrel but with the fabric nearer to the mandrel than the tread portion, causing said blank to completely surround the mandrel, Vulcanizing said parts, and turning said tube inside out like a stocking.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

. JOHN H. BROWN.

Witnesses:

EDWIN J. PRINDLE, SAMUEL SCHWARTZMAN. 

